It was once the edge of the city and the turnaround point for the south Calgary streetcar.

Today, it’s an eclectic inner-city neighbourhood and a shopper’s paradise.

Located on 33rd and 34th avenues S.W., between Crowchild Trail and 19th Street S.W., Marda Loop is a thriving outdoor shopping and dining district, home to a variety of distinct stores and restaurants, all within walking distance of each other.

The trendy neighbourhood gets its name from the now closed Marda Theatre (named by founders Mark and Mada Jenkins), which was located on the corner of the same intersection of the “Loop” streetcar route.

Two years ago, Amanda Barker was looking for a “very family- friendly and very pedestrian-friendly” neighbourhood to open her eco-conscious boutique for families, called Edamame Kids.

Barker opened her store in Marda Loop in 2010, and says the neighbourhood is exactly what she was looking for. Free street parking, a community of other independent stores, and a popular and environmentally conscious summer festival are more reasons Barker loves Marda Loop.

The annual Marda Gras Festival takes place in Marda Loop every August, when thousands of community members and visitors enjoy street vendors, entertainment and the sights, sounds and cuisine of New Orleans.

Kate Sawyer bought A Cookie Occasion two years ago. The cookie store has been a fixture in Marda Loop for 22 years and Sawyer says the store’s original owner chose to set up shop in the area because of its proximity to downtown.

In the past few years, Marda Loop has been transformed, thanks to the community’s Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ), says Sawyer.

She’s noticed an increasing number of new independent businesses, as well as new customers.

Those things include hosting wine and cheese nights for business owners and planning the Marda Gras Festival.

The Marda Loop BRZ was established in 1984 and represents more than 100 Marda Loop merchants. Jash Sandhu, owner of Rasoi Kitchen, served as both acting vice-president and president of the BRZ for nearly four years.

“Marda Loop is one of the original neighbourhoods (in Calgary) and yet it is growing and growing,” Sandhu says.

Sandhu says during his tenure, which recently finished, the BRZ board worked hard to move the neighbourhood forward.

“Everybody who was on the board believed this was one of the fastest-growing, up- and-coming inner-city neighbourhoods in Calgary,” Sandhu says.

BRZ initiatives in recent years have included beautifying the neighbourhood through banners and art initiatives such as painting utility boxes.

Sandhu says the board, which is comprised of local merchants of all ages who volunteer their time, also had a new neighbourhood sign designed and worked diligently to progress and rejuvenate the Marda Gras Street Festival.

The board has, and continues to, work hard to attract small, community-oriented businesses to the neighbourhood, says Sandhu.

Sandhu describes Marda Loop as a dynamic and multicultural neighbourhood and one that is both young and mature.